Warm, drier homes at no cost

Ian Mayes could well be the Hamilton City Council's most popular employee.

Mayes, a former builder, is a wealth of information on how to make homes more energy efficient, warmer and drier and the advice he offers is at no cost.

"I am the council employee of the year, and the council person people are most happy to see," says Mayes.

His official title is eco design adviser and Mayes is quick to dispel misconceptions about the cost of eco design and eco-proofing homes: "Most of the time these are very cheap and simple things to do.

"You needn't spend upwards of $10,000 improving your home. There is so much we can do that is absolutely free, it's just about behavioural changes," says Mayes.

"People are stunned by how simple it is, but they're very receptive."

While some of the aspects of a home assessed by Mayes are obvious heating, insulation, stopping drafts, adequate ventilation, power consumption, heating of hot water he adds "orientation and shading" to the mix. North-facing homes will, in most cases, be warmer than others, and it's one factor Mayes should be considered by people building new houses.

He begins each two-hour assessment with "a bit of a chat", discussing with residents how many people live in the house, lifestyles and any health issues, and whether or not they plan to stay long or short-term.

He examines both the interior and exterior of the house.

"I always focus first on the building have we got good exposure to the sun, have we got a grapevine and pergola that's blocking the solar gain?"

He examines ceilings and under-floor cavities, and assesses heating systems, ventilation and offers guidance on stopping draughts, one of his favoured areas.

"It's been overlooked a lot, because it's not particularly glamorous," says Mayes of draught-proofing. "To some degree, it's the same with insulation you can spend a couple of thousand dollars properly insulating your property, and your friends come round and you've got nothing to show them ... apart from your lower power bill, warm house and healthy kids.

"For an existing house, insulation is the very first thing and draught-proofing as well. Ventilation is a key as well, you don't want damp air in there, you want it out as fast as possible."

New Zealand has a high rate of respiratory illnesses, and that as Mayes points out "is directly related to living in cold, damp houses".

The Waikato's humidity is "incredibly high", and so the region's residents need to be doing everything they can to eliminate damp air and keep houses dry.

"That's about ventilating at the sources of moisture the kitchen, bathrooms, showers, and the clothes dryer," says Mayes. "Warm, wet air is hard to heat, so the damper your air is, the longer and harder your heating runs."

Use range-hoods and extractor fans, he urges, pointing to new automated versions which can turn themselves on and off as needed. Gas heaters without flues are "a huge issue" for people looking to ventilate their homes, and he encourages householders to get rid of them for moisture and safety reasons.

Many people retro-fitting homes focus on shiny new items, but Mayes says even measures as simple as Granny-style draft-stopping fabric "sausages" can help keep a home warm. Thermal drapes or lined curtains are a good investment. venetian blinds are "completely useless".

If you're ripping up your carpet, make sure you have under-floor insulation, says Mayes. Many people are "wasting their time" trying to heat uninsulated and draughty homes. He equates that to "pumping petrol into a badly tuned V8 that's dragging a caravan with the brakes on". With open fires, more than 80 per cent of the heat goes up the chimney, and Mayes says modern energy-efficient log burners are far superior.

He's "anti-coal", and believes it's possible with modern building technology to construct a "zero-heat energy house" if the warmth of the sun is captured and used effectively. One is being attempted in the Waikato.

Solar hot water heating is a "no-brainer" for Mayes, with its comparatively simple technology, low investment cost and substantial long-term savings. Solar hot water heating systems can now be bought and installed for as little as $4000.

Hamilton resident Maxine Fraser had her home assessed by Mayes, and is glowing in her praise for the advice and information he offers. She learnt plenty from his visit.

"When Ian came, he found a few detailed things that were extremely helpful," says Fraser. "I'd recommend it to anyone no matter how much they think they've done, Ian will spot all sorts of things they hadn't thought of."

www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz

Ian Mayes will talk at the Sustainable Business Network's Building Green: The Sustainable Advantage seminar in April. For more information, contact Michelle Locke at waikato@sustainable.org.nz. Mr Mayes also speaks at the Sustainable Urban Design Workshops, on Tuesday nights at Waikato University. For more details or to register for workshops contact the university's Centre for Continuing Education on 858 5209.

- © Fairfax NZ News